Fixing Water Damaged Walls
How to Fix Water Damaged Walls
One of the first priorities when deciding how to fix water damaged walls is to locate the cause of the damage. This is usually a leak from above the wall area, such as a sink or toilet overflowing from the floor above. In the case of a flooding event this is obviously different as the damage to the walls will have happened from the ground level.
However, there are some proven tips on how to fix water damaged walls. I hope the steps below outline the best way to deal with this.
How to Fix Water Damaged Walls
- The first concern is to remove any material that is still loose around the damaged area. Make sure to get rid of all loosened joint compound, peeling paint or drywall tape.
- The next step is to use a drywall saw to cut away any larger areas of damaged wall that bulge or appear buckled. Any pieces that are unsafe or sticking out will need to be removed. In order to ensure that you remove the entire damaged section, mark your cuts at least 2 inches away from the bulging, damaged area.
- Remove any drywall nails or screws that may be holding the sheet in place. Once they have been removed, you can pull away the damaged sheet and dispose of it.
- Measure the same size sheet of drywall as the water damaged piece you have removed. The same process can be used if your walls are made of plaster board. Make sure that the thickness is the same throughout. Fit it into the spot and ensure that the seams line up.
- Use ready mix joint compound to finish securing the drywall to the wall. Take a putty knife and apply a coat about ½ inches thick to the seam of the new drywall section. Pull drywall tape over the seam and skim the compound several times over the tape until you have covered the area completely. After drying, apply another coat of the joint compound.
- Once the compound has dried the wall can be painted.
- A top tip is to apply a sealer coat. This will make sure that no leftover moisture damages the wall any further.
Summary:
As with many water damage problems, it can minimize the damage if the correct course of action is taken as soon as the affected area on the wall has dried out. The steps outlined above have been proven to work to fix water damaged walls and I hope they help you as well.
Discover how to quickly, easily and SAFELY fix your water damaged walls with this foolproof, step-by-step guide.
Feel free to add any comments below as I’d be happy to hear your experiences.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
You can repair water-damaged walls and ceilings yourself, depends on the extent of the damage. You can easily repair like cracking and crumbling, drywall tape, peeling paint or staining that’s hanging. But, if there are large holes in your walls, you have to contact with the professionals.
Large holes should be a job for an expert depending on the size of the hole. Many damaged walls can be corrected with simple techniques but you are quite right, the bigger, more difficult jobs may require professional help. Thanks for your comment.